Richard Whorf
Richard Whorf (June 4, 1906 – December 14, 1966) was an American actor, writer and film director.
Richard Whorf

Trailer screenshots (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) · source · Public domain
- Name
- Richard Whorf
- Born
- 4 June 1906
- Birthplace
- Winthrop, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died
- 14 December 1966
- Place of death
- Santa Monica, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Honours
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design · Donaldson Awards
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Richard Whorf (June 4, 1906 – December 14, 1966) was an American actor, writer and film director.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q3431326 · wikipedia · Richard Whorf
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Richard Whorf • Born — 4 June 1906 • Birthplace — Winthrop, Massachusetts, U.S. • Died — 14 December 1966 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Resting Place — Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California • Occupation — * Actor • director • author • Years Active — 1927–1966 • Relatives — Benjamin Lee Whorf (brother)
Life and acting career
Life and acting career
Whorf was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts to Harry and Sarah (née Lee) Whorf. His older brother was linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf. Whorf began his acting career on the Boston stage as a teenager, then moved to Broadway at age 21, debuting there in The Banshee (1927). He played a famous painter who had resorted to drinking in the 1960 episode "The Illustrator" of The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford.
Directing career
Directing career
He began his film directing career with the 1942 short subject March On, America and the 1944 feature film Blonde Fever. He directed a number of television programs in the 1950s and 1960s, including early episodes of Gunsmoke, the entire second season of My Three Sons, and 67 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. He directed the short-lived series Border Patrol and the 1964–1965 ABC sitcom Mickey, starring Mickey Rooney. In the summer of 1960, he guest-starred in one episode of and directed other segments of the short-lived western series Tate, and he helmed episodes of the 1961–1962 CBS sitcom Father of the Bride, starring Leon Ames. Whorf directed the unsuccessful 1961 stage comedy Julia, Jake and Uncle Joe.
Personal life
Personal life
In 1929, Whorf married Margaret H. Smith. He was a brother of Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1941), known for being a linguist, and John Whorf (1903–1959), an artist.
As actor
As actor
• Midnight (1934) – Arthur Weldon • Blues in the Night (1941) – Jigger Pine • Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – Sam Harris • Juke Girl (1942) – Danny Frazier • Keeper of the Flame (1943) – Clive Kerndon • Assignment in Brittany (1943) – Jean Kerenor • The Cross of Lorraine (1943) – François • The Impostor (1944, aka Strange Confession) – Lt. Varenne • Christmas Holiday (1944) – Simon Fenimore • Blonde Fever (1944) – Chef (uncredited) • Chain Lightning (1950) – Carl Troxell • The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) – Film Director Richard Whorf (uncredited)
As director
As director
• Blonde Fever (1944) • The Hidden Eye (1945) • The Sailor Takes a Wife (1945) • Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) • It Happened in Brooklyn (1947) • Love from a Stranger (1947) • Luxury Liner (1948) • Champagne for Caesar (1950) • The Groom Wore Spurs (1951) • Gunsmoke (1958)
As producer
As producer
• The Burning Hills (1956) • Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957) • Bombers B-52 (1957)
Identity
Identity
Richard Whorf is recorded with the occupation television actor. Recorded with the occupation costume designer. Recorded with the occupation film producer. Indexed under Cinema and Media Studies, Physics and Engineering Research Articles, Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism, Legal and Regulatory Analysis, South Asian Cinema and Culture. Recorded as actor, film producer, costume designer, screenwriter and director.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1906
Richard Whorf was born on 4 June 1906.
1966
Richard Whorf died on 14 December 1966.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Richard Whorf was born at Winthrop.
Birthplace
Richard Whorf died at Santa Monica.
Deathplace
Winthrop.
Birth place
Santa Monica.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Richard Whorf”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3431326: Richard Whorf
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
scholarly index
- OpenAlex author record A5050684535 for Richard Whorf.
Unverified · OpenAlex
authority file
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Carrol, John B. (1956): "Introduction" in "Language, Thought and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. MIT Press. S. 2–3
- 2.AllMovie richard-whorf-vn15581308 20230617184440
- 3.Preview unavailable. ProQuest.
- 4.8331. 2021-12-08.
- 5.Richard Whorf (Awards). Internet Movie Database.
- 6.Richard Whorf - Biography. Internet Movie Database.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedscholarly index
Partially resolvedauthority file
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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